Raksha Bandhan

This weekend we had a festival Raksha Bandha. Rakhi is a sacred thread embellished with sister's love and affection for her brother. On the day of Raksha Bandhan, sisters tie rakhi on the wrists of their brothers and express their love to them. After receiving the rakhi from a sister, a brother sincerely takes the responsibility of protecting her sister. In Indian tradition, the frangible thread of rakhi is considered even stronger than an iron chain as it strongly binds a brothers and a sisters in the circumference of mutual love and trust. We celebrate this festival in night and eat food together where all women go to one house and make food for night. We made two dishes samosa and drink cold cocoa at the end.

Samosas

Samosas

This is a real "must have" in my house on a rainy day or when terribly hungry or even as an appetizer at parties. For this recipe you will need 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/2 large potatoes (boiled), 1/4 onion chopped, 1/2 green chilies very finely chopped, 3/4 tablespoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon ginger grated, 1/8 teaspoon garlic, crushed, 1/4 to taste coriander seed, 1/4 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped, 1/8 lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon garam masala (available in grocery stores), 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/4 to taste salt. In this recipe mix together the flour, oil and salt. Add a little water, until mixture becomed crumbly. Keep adding water, kneading the mixture till it becomes a soft pliable dough. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside for 20 min. Beat dough on a work surface and knead again. Cover and set aside. For filling heat 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger, garlic, green chilies and few coriander seeds. Stir fry for 1 min, add onions and saute till light brown. Ass cilantro, lemon juice, turmeric, red chili, salt and garam masala. Stir fry for 2 min. Add potatoes and stir fry for 2 min. Set aside and allow to cool. Divide dough into 10 equal portions. Use a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough into a 5" oval. Cut into 2 halves. Run a moist finger along the diameter. Roll around finger to make a cone. Place a tablespoon of the filling into the cone. Seal the third side using a moist finger. Deep fry the samosas on low to medium heat until light brown. Serve with tomato sauce.

Cold Cocoa

Cold Cocoa

In this recipe you will need 1/2 liter milk, 1 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar, 1 large spoon cornflour, dairy milk chocolate bar and the process is dissolve cornflour in one cup cold milk from 1/2 liter milk. Now boil remaining milk in a thick bottom saucepan. While boiling add sugar and cocoa powder. When these ingredients dissolve well and milk starts boiling add cornflour dissolved milk in the pan with constant stirring. Keep sure the contents don't stick to the bottom keep constant stirring for max 5 min. Let the mixture cool at room temperature and then refrigerate it. Serve chilled cocoa in a long glass and add pieces of dairy milk chocolate cut into small squares. Delicious cold cocoa is ready to drink.

Festival Sweet Dishes 

Gujiya

Gujiya is a deep fried pastry stuffed with a sweet filling of khoya, this dish is very popular in north India, especially during holi it is a festival of colors which generally falls in the full moon of march and it is also a festival of colors, unity and celebrates the truimph of good over evil. 

I enjoy preparing gujiyas with my mother and sisters. My mother keeps frying in the pan while we sisters do the rolling, cutting, and filling which gives me a chance to keep stealing the tasty khoya which is full of dry fruits. First my mom took a bowl and added flour, salt, and ghee and rub with your palm and fingers such that the dough appears like bread crumbs. Add just enough water to make a pliable yet firm dough. Divide the dough and shape into small balls. Keep aside covered for half an hour. Meanwhile, heat a pan, add 1/2 tbsps ghee, add the grated coconut and roast over medium for a few minutes, approximately 5 mins till it turns golden brown. Remove and keep aside. In the small pan, add a tbsp ghee, add the nuts and roast till it turns golden. Remove and cool. Once cool, make a coarse powder and set aside. In the same pan, drizzle 1/2 tbsp of ghee and  add the khoya ( available at indian stores) and roast 5-6 mins. Remove keep aside to cool. Powder the sugar and mix with the roasted dry coconut, ground nuts and khoya. Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Set aside the prepared filling. Now roll each ball with the rolling pin into a thin puri. Spread a tablespoon of a filling on one half of the rolled out dough. Wet your fingers and run it along the edges of the spread out dough with water and fold over to the opposite end, enclosing the stuffing to form a semi-circle shaped gujiya. Press the ends firmly so that the filling doesn't come out during the deep frying process and use a fork to seal the edges. Alternately you twist the edges aroung the gujiya. Heat enough oil in a wide vessel to deep fry the stuffed kajjikayalu. Slowly drop 3-4 gujiyas into the oil and deep fry them on medium flame till golden brown. Turn them carefully to cook the other side as well. Drain the gujiya with a slotted lade and remove to a plate. 

Aloo Chaat is a holi snack. In this recipe preboil the potatoes in a pressure cooker. Once the potatoes become warm or cool, then peel the skin and dice them. Shallow the diced potatoes. Drain on kitchen paper napkins. Take the fried potatoes in a bowl. Add all the spice powders and salt to the potatoes, toss the potatoes well, sprinkle some lemon juice on the potatoes, garnish aloo chaat with coriander leaves and serve aloo chaat hot.

Aloo Chaat